Julia Roberts Had to Do Multiple Takes Shooting Homecoming Because She's Clumsy

Julia Roberts is bringing her high wattage to Homecoming, Amazon's adaptation of the podcast of the same name directed by Mr. Robot's Sam Esmail. Roberts, along with casemates Bobby Cannavale, Stephan James and longtime buddy Dermot Mulroney, spoke to reporters at the Television Critics Association summer press tour about shooting the series and, unsurprisingly, she was in peak JR adorableness.

Asked about what attracted her to the series and transitioning from big screen to small screen, she said, "I guess I didn't really think of it as small screen, big screen? My television is very big." Then she flashed that Julia Roberts smile and the 100 or so reporters in the room all immediately died. Well, they laughed, but it was one of those moments where the movie star, wearing a pastel blue pantsuit and hair as bright as the sun, seemed self-effacing and more serious about the work than her own legacy. Shooting, she said, was "a great mental challenge every day. It became exciting as a crew and a cast -- we all enjoyed how challenging Sam made it for us. It wasn't just about being prepared, but, can you be prepared and walk up 10 flights of steps, make a full course meal, juggle with your feet?"

There probably won't be a lot of feet juggling in the series but the half-hour thriller did require some unique skills. Homecoming, which follows Heidi Bergman (Roberts), a caseworker at the secret government facility Homecoming Transitional Support Center, and Walter Cruz (James) a soldier eager to rejoin civilian life, required Roberts to employ some new talents. The cast and crew worked quickly, but it often took a lot of takes. Why? "Likely me tripping," she said, mentioning her heels. Also, "I had a lot of props. You could take my entire career, and I didn't touch as many props as I did with this project."

She was comfortable on set though, not least because Homecoming has her working with Mulroney, who starred in My Best Friend's Wedding with Roberts way back in 1997. "We had incredible scenes," he said, joking that for first time, he and his real life best friend were finally in an on-screen romantic relationship. "It only took 30 years!" joked Roberts.

Homecoming comes to Amazon Nov. 2.